Thanks to ACRI, an Antiwar Protest was Allowed in Sakhnin
- ACRI
- Jul 21
- 2 min read
On July 21, 2025, ACRI contacted the police and the Fire and Rescue Authority on behalf of activists from the political coalition Hadash who sought to organize a demonstration in the city of Sakhnin in northern Israel against the continuation of the war in Gaza. The organizers coordinated the demonstration with the local authorities, even though the law does not require them to do so. Representatives from the police then illegally demanded that they obtain the mayor's approval as a condition for receiving a demonstration permit. Fire and rescue representatives also demanded that the protest organizers submit a licensing request to be filed by the local authority and a safety plan, again, without any legal basis for doing so.
In the petition, Attorney Eden Gilad, ACRI’s Freedom of Protest Coordinator, clarified that the only body authorized by the law to issue permits for demonstrations is the Israel Police, and that demonstrations and protest events do not require approval from the municipality. She further stated that the demand directed at the organizers by the Fire and Rescue Authority was made in error, since the legal provision on which it relied relates to "public entertainment" events, such as cultural, entertainment, and sports events, and not to demonstrations. We requested that a permit be granted for the demonstration, which meets all legal requirements, and that it be emphasized to the police officers that municipal approval is not required as a condition for obtaining a demonstration permit.
The next day we received a response from the Fire and Rescue Authority, which clarified that its demand that the organizers submit a licensing request originated from a misunderstanding. The police stated that in light of the fact that the organizers coordinated the demonstration with the municipality, no additional conditions are required of them, and there is no impediment to holding the demonstration.
ACRI's petition, July 21, 2025 (Heb)
Police response, July 22, 2025 (Heb)
